A CLIENT TOLD ME this week, “I love what I do,” and then proceeded for five minutes to list all the things she does every day that she hates.
“Sounds like you don’t like your job,” I said.
She balked. How could this business she had started from the passion of her heart be this miserable to work in? This is a classic case of loving one’s career but hating the job.
The reality of leadership is that it changes over time. The daily things you used to do years ago may not serve you today. Just because you can do them doesn’t mean you should.
How do you know if you’ve lost the love for your job? And on top of that, what do you do to grow your love for your job?
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List the two most profitable things you do in your company. Note: I did not say the things you do at work the most or even the things you like to do. Look at the most profitable things you do and answer these questions:
- If you did only those two things every day of your working life, would you feel more or less energized at the end of the week?
- Is there someone out there who does one of those things better than you do it now?
- What tasks do you do that get in the way of accomplishing these two profitable tasks?
Now let’s help you love your job based on how you answer those three questions.
If you said you’d be “less energized” in question No. 1, it indicates you may need to step away from the reins. Find the right person who is good at those two profitable things, empower them to generate the profit, and turn your attention to where your interest lies. Of course, if you said “more energized,” that’s great! It indicates the passion you started with is still there.
In question No. 2, if you couldn’t think of someone who does your job better than you, then it’s time to network and find that person. Find people to learn from who have a history of success already. In whatever way you can, find out how they got to be the best. Learning from them will likely ignite more inspiration and passion.
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Question No. 3 is about distractions. Anything that gets in the way of your two most profitable tasks should be delegated. Find people or outsource to those who can do these tasks with some level of excellence. Any task not bringing you life is just taking you away from time spent generating profit.
Our most profitable tasks change over time, so this exercise is worth revisiting at least yearly. And remember that we don’t live to work; we work to live. Why not love what you do for work along the way?
